CD Reviews

Ethereal and Hauntingly Beautiful

girldiver | tangled up in blue. | 11/05/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"How could you go wrong with the clear seraph voice of Julianne Baird accompanied by the delicate skill of Ronn McFarlane on the Lute. Not only is the talent exceptional but the composed works of Lute music divine. You listen to each song and are carried away to time/place devoid of any worry let alone any task other than to listen to Julianne and Ronn execute perfection. You truely feel part of the Elizabethan Court listening to this CD it is both beautiful and dark simutaneously.Another fabulous feature to this CD is the simplicity of the recording of only lute and vocals with no special effects. To retain the warmth and purity of the composition it was recorded on location in 'The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall' in Upstate New York and is one of the finest acoustical settings in the world. Unlike modern pop music Lute music as written needs no manipulation or adjustment in the studio if executed by skilled artists and musicians in an acoustical atmosphere and this recording does exactly that.I highly recommend this CD of beautiful music. It truely will evoke deep feeling and emotion."

Too cool for some

Thomas Permutt | Columbia, MD United States | 02/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Julianne Baird is breathtakingly good at what she does: intelligent, stylistically convincing, technically brilliant ornamentation, in a sweet, phenomenally accurate voice. I love it. Those not accustomed to this sort of thing, though, may find it lacking emotional immediacy. Consider also Kathleen Battle with some of the same material: not that she's better, but the appeal is more directly sensual rather than intellectual."